Sunday, October 31, 2010

Saw 3D: The Final Chapter

RANT: Halloween, little goblins and witches, and bowls of candy is in full swing tonight, as with every year. But, the yearly tradition of viewing a new "Saw" movie along with the Halloween holiday season is now officially over. I will have to replace it with the launch of the new "The Walking Dead" series on AMC starting at 10pm ET, starting tonight.

SYNOPSIS: The legend of Jigsaw continues and ends in this final installment, pitting Hoffman against Jigsaw's ex-wife and the police's internal affairs department. All the while, a new gory Jigsaw game plays itself out.

The editor of the first five "Saw" films and the directing helm of "Saw VI", Kevin Greutert returns for the supposed final chapter of the franchise. In this installment, which takes place soon after the previous film, Hoffman has escaped the trap that Jill Tuck, Jigsaw's/John's ex-wife, has set for him, Swearing revenge, Knowing that she is in danger, Jill looks to the police's Internal Affairs officier, Gibson, for immunity and protection. Swearing revenge, Hoffman sets a new trap in motion to lure out both Gibson and Jill. Meanwhile, another trap is set in motion, targeting Bobby, a survivor of a previous Jigsaw trap - now touring with a autobiographical book of his survivor experience.

I have been a staunch supporter of the series since the beginning. Each year I watch the entire series to date in order to remind myself of the nuances of the ongoing plot and characters. What makes this series different from many others horror franchises is that the plot per each film intertwine together so well. Some of the entries are weaker than others, some of the characters better than others. But all in all, I have admired what the creators have brought to the silver screen.

Since this is the last chapter, the creators looked to wrap up the entire storyline with a bloody little bow. The problem with wrapping up the series is that sawaphiles like myself knew some of what was to come just by the fact of who was retuning to the film. There is a razors edge between a story being too cryptic and too telling. The seventh "Saw" manages to walk that bleeding edge without tearing up the soles of the feet too badly. Will franchise fans enjoy how it all ends? I think it ends the only way it can - and I am okay with that. I just wish that I could look forward to another installment next Halloween.

As for the use of 3D... as with most of the non-"Avatar" film in the last 2 years, "Saw 3D" uses the post-production techniques with minimal effect. I was actually disappointed that the creators did not actually use the 3D to more classic 3D horror standards. Even the "My Bloody Valentine 3D" reboot was much more effective, if not obvious. I would have rather not tarnished the end of the series with such a cheap gimmick. Of course, that cheap gimmick is up to $4 a pop for the moviegoer.

I would recommend diehard fans to go see the film, just to see it to the bitter, bloody end. For the rest of the general population, you should use your best judgement. Just remember to never take your life for granted... or Jigsaw might actually come back to get after all!

Worth: Netflix and DVD (for the diehard fan)I am also trying out a new rating system shown below based on reader reaction to my somewhat complex monetary rating scale. I will give both ratings and see what kind of reaction I muster. A movie can receive up to 5 popcorn buckets. Why popcorn buckets? Because I am a slave to the thousand + calorie delight! Enjoy!